How to get hay and keep animals fed

Every hay source, the grass drop rates, and how much feed to keep for your animals.

Every way to get hay in Fields of Mistria

You can get Hay in five ways. Cutting grass is the only repeatable method available at no cost, but the drop rate is low. Hayden’s shop is the dependable early-game source.

Cut grass with your sword

Fields of Mistria has no scythe. Equip your sword and swing at grass to clear it. An axe, pickaxe, hoe, or shovel will not harvest Hay from grass.

Fresh, small grass cannot drop anything. Wait until it reaches the medium or large stage before cutting it. Hay and Grass Seed share the same successful roll, with an equal chance of receiving either item.

Large grass gives the best odds, but even then, only about four out of every 100 tiles drop Hay. A successful roll drops one item on the ground, so walk over it to add it to your inventory. There is no silo that collects Hay for you.

The ranching perk Feeding Frenzy doubles the number of Hay or Grass Seed in a successful drop. It does not improve the drop chance. The perk is available at ranching level 1 and costs 15 essence.

Buy hay from Hayden

Hayden's Shop sells Hay for 50g from the first day. It has no rank or quest requirement, so this is the fastest fix when a barn trough is empty. Balor's Wagon charges the same price when Hay appears in its rotating stock, but Hayden is the reliable choice.

After completing The Mill Restoration Project, visit Hayden for Tea with Hayden. The quest rewards 10 Hay, 10 Grass Seed, a cup of tea, and 20 renown. This is a one-time reward, not a shop unlock.

Refine stone into hay

The Stone Refinery turns 6 Stone into one Hay in 10 in-game minutes. The recipe is known by default, but you cannot use it until the town story quest builds the refinery at the entrance to the Mines.

Refining is useful when mining has left you with spare Stone. If Stone is needed for a barn, coop, or town repair, buying Hay for 50g may be the better short-term choice.

Grow grass for a renewable supply

Grass spreads naturally across untended parts of the farm. You can also choose where it grows by making Grass Starter at the The Mill. One starter needs 2 Grass Seed and 1 Sod, takes 20 in-game minutes, and plants a 2x2 patch of small grass on your farm.

Small grass becomes medium the next morning. Most medium grass becomes large after another night, although some tufts stay medium. Both grown stages can drop Hay, but waiting for large grass raises the chance from 2.5% to 3.75% per tile.

The Growth spell changes small grass into large grass in one cast for 8 mana. The woodcrafting perk Deliberate Debris II stops new grass and debris from appearing naturally, so plan on using Grass Starter if you take that perk.

How much hay does a barn use?

Each large animal eats one Hay per day when fed from a trough. The daily total matches the number of animals in the barn. Small animals live in coops and eat Grass Seed instead.

Quality, Deluxe, and Ultimate feed do not last longer than ordinary Hay. Each still fills one trough slot and feeds one animal. Better feed gives more heart points, which helps animals reach better production tiers sooner. The ranch animals page compares every feed tier with heart and production rules.

Can animals graze instead?

An animal released onto the farm can eat medium or large grass. Grazing counts as its daily feeding at the ordinary-feed rate, but the animal consumes that grass tile. Any ripe, edible crop in reach can also become animal food, so fence off crops you want to harvest.

Outdoor weather matters. Animals gain 5 heart points for going outside on a clear day and lose 5 on a rainy or snowy day. Let them graze in clear weather, then keep them inside with a filled trough during rain or snow. The animal care guide covers petting, hearts, product schedules, and golden products.

What does the auto feeder do?

Auto Feeder costs 5,000g at Hayden's Shop and unlocks at ranching level 45. It only fits the built-in platform in a large barn or large coop. One feeder holds 54 items and fills empty trough slots in that building each morning.

The feeder accepts animal feed and edible items. When you store produce or cooked food, it changes each item into a feed tier for the animals in that building.

Tree fruit is a simple way to supply Ultimate feed without milling it. Hand-feed expensive dishes instead of loading them into the feeder: the feeder turns every dish of two stars or more into the same Ultimate tier, while direct feeding gives higher heart points for each extra star.

How much hay should you save for winter?

Grass continues growing in winter, but snow days make indoor feeding safer. A full barn kept inside for all 28 days needs 112 Hay for a small barn, 224 for a medium barn, or 336 for a large barn. Grazing on clear days lowers those totals.

Season changes can replace some open grass with rocks, branches, and weeds. Build your reserve before winter begins, then keep a smaller backup for rainy and snowy days in other seasons. More seasonal crop and farm rules are in watering, seasons, and the rules the game never tells you.